"The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out." Proverbs 17:14
Proverbs is so versatile and timeless. Who knew that it contained wise words for defensive driving. Wouldn't we all be better Christians if we had to walk everywhere we went? The vehicle of choice has changed, but road rage has been around a long time.
The City of Houston taught me the real meaning of road rage. I had grown up in New York and had cut my teeth on some of the toughest traffic and roughest road hogs the world could produce. I was not a novice at protecting my turf when I arrived in Houston in 1980. It was the epicenter of "The Oil Patch, the peak of the oil boom and the glory days of "Luv Ya Blue." It didn't take me long to get into the spirit of things. Traffic was unbelievable. Houston had the same number of freeway miles as San Antonio, and four times the population. You do the math. Rats in a maze of jams and detours does not describe it fully. Everyone was from a small town, and this driving experience was new to them, and they hated it. Signs marked "Yield" or "Merge" were ignored by them as much as their blinkers when changing lanes. Dana and I lived 11 miles from the church we were serving, and my morning and evening commute would total approximately four hours a day. This workout twice a day developed 21 ulcers in less than three years. Good times. Good times.
One Saturday morning, when traffic was relatively light, I took off to perform a 10 AM wedding at the church. The night before, I had returned from a two week preaching trip to Japan, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. Jet lag was enormous, and all I wanted to do was get to the church, grab my notes, tie the knot and get back home to sleep it off. Then it happened. The guy in front of me slammed on his brakes, and began a 9 mile amateur version of "Mad Max." I tried to exit, and he would block me. I would get off the freeway and he would follow me. He would slow down and I would pass him. He would try to cut me off and run me into the concrete barricades. He was relentless and ruthless and his truck was twice the size of my car. The gun rack in his pick up was missing a shotgun. It was in his lap, and he was pointing it at me. God Bless America! I caught a glimpse of his face, and it was a hideous contortion of demonic features. I am not ashamed to say that it scared me then, and the memory of this experience chills me to my core even today.
Proverbs 17:14 probably saved my life that day. He finally drove off with a "win" under his belt and I arrived at the church feeling like a James Bond martini...shaken but not stirred. I have used this verse on more than one occasion to avoid letting myself get suckered into a fight on the highway that can escalate from a minor mishap to mass murder. I wish I was better at using every place I go.
Clebe McClary, Marine hero and evangelist, told me that he and his wife have a code word for cutting off an argument that can develop into to road rage IN the car. It is F.I.D.O., and it means Forget It Drive On. It has become their way of stopping the rising temperature in the vehicle. When they have a disagreement over directions or any other subject that comes up, either one is free to use it as a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. Thanks Clebe, this has nipped in the bud the thorny vines of conflict that can choke the life out of a loving relationship.
Warning: When you are full of yourself, this spewing of resentment will jet out like a geyser when anyone punctures the smooth, thin veneer of your personal preferences or right of way.
"So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out." It is hard to abandon a quarrel when you are hiring lawyers, enlisting eyewitnesses and character references to prove your case before you head out the door each day. Perhaps this is honorable preparation for the trial of a life time, but most of us are not challenged by great trials as much as tedious, life-sucking tests that come our way through the relentless grind of daily life. When you wake up in the morning, remind yourself that the rest of the world is not getting up hoping you have a great day. There are huge numbers of crazy people getting dressed, into their cars and on their way to celebrate, "What's In It for ME Day." Don't be surprised if you eat their bumper on the way to work, or find them inflating balloons for an office party when you get there.
So, how does Proverbs 17: 14 help us? It reminds us that there is honor in choosing our battles, and not allowing someone to thrust their insanity upon us. It points out the inevitability of strife reaching flood stage in our lives, unless we are willing to prepare ourselves to resist the urge to take it to the next level. Abandoning the quarrel with another person is easier if you have settled the dust balls of resentment that can slowly collect under the bed of an unexamined heart.
Martin Luther said, " You cannot stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building nests in your hair."
Luther understood how easy it was or people to get in our heads. Our responsibility is to show their toxic behavior the exit before we react to it with a vengeance that belongs only to God. This is best done by what I call "Proactive Praying." Before you head out the door pray for those who will cross your path that day. Ask God to give you grace to respond rather than react. You can only die on one cross so choose it carefully. Does every traffic blunder and snide remark require a conquest over the offender that leaves them crushed at your feet? This is going to be a long day if you let other people set the agenda for you. They are messed up!
"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:18-21
Pray, proactively, before you leave the house today. Invite Jesus to carpool with you on the way to work, school or church. When another person needs to merge into your lane, ask Jesus if you should. Let God's grace empower you to let them in. You will be surprised at how many friends you can make on the road. If you are abused by another driver or person today, (and you will be) invest in them. Pray for them. It is harder to hate someone you pray for. Not impossible, it is just harder. See you on the road. I will be the one without my blinker on.
T.H.I.S.
"The Lord has made everything for it own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil." Proverbs 16:4
"I don't need this." "I am not going to put up with this." " I don't deserve this." "I can't believe this is happening to me." THIS could be chiseled on the cornerstone of a building that is collapsing on top of us. THIS reflects the chaos, confusion, dust and debris of encountering the unexpected consequences of our own action or the undeserved results of other people's toxic trafficking in our lives. What is T.H.I.S.? It is, "The Hurt I Suffer."
The Proverbs are filled with some challenging statements. T.H.I.S. is one of the toughest to grasp. Just when we think we are getting a hold on the way God works in our lives, some unwanted interruption blasts in uninvited. It knocks the breath out of us, and brings us to our knees. Not a bad place to end up when you get taken down by circumstances out of your control.
There are times in our lives that God brings a person across our path to give us insight for the journey. I remember fondly every moment I was able to spend with a man named Ron Dunn. Over a 30 year period, God allowed a long distance admiration to develop into a personal friendship. I will always be grateful that God brought Ron into my life. To know more about him find your way to the website of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. The Senior Pastor, Michael Catt, has done the world a great service by establishing a link that will put you in touch with Ron's work. He went to heaven in July 2001, but thank God Michael will not let us forget a giant walked among us.
Ron Dunn had a great perspective on pain and suffering. He had earned it. He would often say,
"Good and evil travel on parallel tracks and arrive at the same time." This may have been the greatest legacy he left for my life. He would tell the story of a woman who once came to him with a grandchild in her arms. The woman told a heartbreaking story of abuse and abandonment that had happened in her daughter's life at the hands of worthless husband. Her final words were, " I wish she had never met that man!" Ron was no coward. He was like a moth to the flame. He soared in to the fire even if he got singed. With the wisdom of Solomon and the courage of a lion he asked the question, "So, you are ready to give up the baby." The immediate response of the woman was to step back and hold the baby with a tighter grip and say, "No! I would never give up this child. This baby means the world to me." Then Ron would say, "Good and evil travel on parallel tracks and arrive at the same time." Did I mention Ron had left the pastorate.
Whenever I would have Ron come and lead a Bible Conference in our church or meet him at an airport to grab a bite of lunch, I would pour out my heart and wait for wise counsel. Ron would sit and listen patiently to my litany of woes. After enduring my "whine" list for a few minutes, he would interrupt with something sarcastic, yet supportive, "Stop! Please stop! You're making me homesick for the pastorate! I miss all those weddings and vacation bible schools and deacon's meetings." I got the message. This is life. Deal with it. Winning and whining seldom follow parallel tracks. If you want platitudes for painless living Ron's not your man. His words hit like a 22 oz. rib-eye right across the lips. "Don't just stand there, pray something!"
The message to be gained from Proverbs is very simple. Bad things do happen to good people. One of the most challenging assignments I have ever been given was to speak to a Jewish congregation in Houston on the topic, "The Christian View of Suffering." In the audience were several hundred people who were Holocaust survivors or the relatives of those who had died in it. I was young and stupid enough to accept the invitation, but smart enough to lean on the message of Joseph, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (Gen. 50:20) I quit talking when I saw their heads nod in agreement. They had forgotten more about suffering than I would ever know.
Thanks Joseph, for not getting twisted off by what you went through and leaving me a light to shine into the darkness of sufferng.
The truth is, suffering is hard to take by itself. God does have a purpose for it. He can give meaning to it. When it is taken alone, it is like trying to swallow a pill without a glass of water. You choke on it, before it can do you any good. The cure will kill you, unless there is some perspective that God is still at work in your life through T.H.I.S.
For the past two years, I have tried to stand by my wife as she has fought for her life in a battle with breast cancer. She has had her share of people try to minimize the experience with, "Oh at least it is curable." Tell that to someone after they have had six months of chemo and both breast removed, and you may get more than a rib-eye across the mouth. My wife just looks little. There have been others that felt compelled to blurt out, "O, I had an aunt who died from that." Well thanks for sharing. Dana had a younger sister die from it, but thanks for putting that curse into our minds. It is hard to put your head on the pillow at night and not have that blast from the past scorch your brain cells. Both of these extremely toxic remarks were spoken by well-meaning people within the walls of a church. Bless their hearts. Note to self: Stop saying that if you don't mean it.
When people minimize or trivialize our suffering, it is demeaning. Why? Major surgery is what I am having. Minor surgery is what you are having. Before you can feel for someone, you have to hurt with them. When we allow people to maximize suffering by injecting panic into our lives, it is disheartening.
I have been comforted over the past two years by the words, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose...to become conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:28-29a) God never intended this verse to be a driver's manual that we toss from our window into the wreckage of suffering. Rubber necking our way past the crash site of personal crisis and dropping these words calleously into the destruction is not a wise move. Yes, it is a word of hope, but timing is everything. There are times when people are so deafened by suffering they cannot hear the truth. They are so blinded by it they cannot even read your lips when you say it to their face. What people need to be able to do, in time, is to have someone help them loosen their white-knuckled grip on T.H.I.S.. It is usually done best by someone who has been through the same thing, and learned that God can bring something good, even out of T.H.I.S. .
A picture is worth a thousand words. My mind's eye recalls watching my wife share her cancer diagnosis with our church and walk from the platform down into the congregation. She had asked people to pray for her as she began this battle. I asked people to back up the hearse and stop ordering flowers. This was a fight not a funeral. Two ladies, spontaneously, from different parts of the room moved towards her. They did not say a word. They held on to her like bookends of mercy, and wrapped their loving arms around her crisis. I found out later that both of these warriors had fought this battle, and had walked away victorious. There was a confidence, and a smile on their faces as they spilled tears on my wife's shoulder. Their radiance was a confirmation that they had become champions over cancer. Their suffering had taken on a whole new meaning when they sensed Dana's pain. They did not minimize T.H.I.S.. They knew better. They did not maximize T.H.I.S.. They prayed for her. You can't make this up.
That's it. Talk Less. Pray More and T.H.I.S. (The Hurt I Suffer) will bring us to the end of ourselves and the purpose of God. All aboard. The Monday morning train is leaving the station.
Whining or Winning
"All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast." Proverbs 15:15
My father, Don Miller, has had more influence on me than any other man I know. He is an 87 year old prayer warrior/preacher/pastor and planter of churches. He has logged his share of time in multiple pastorates, operating rooms, and deacon's meetings and still has one of the most cheerful outlook on life that lets him live more like a victor than a victim. His personal triumph over adversity and affliction of the enemy has been achieved through the use of prayer as the world class weapon in the battle against evil.
Dad has introduced me to many great quotes over the years, almost all of them have to do with prayer. Go figure. One of my favorites is the statement made by Samuel Chadwick, " The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying, He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom but trembles when we pray." I have read everything I can get my hands on written by Chadwick. He was known as the "Wesley of the 20th Century" in the early years of the 1900's. He became a mentor to Leonard Ravenhill who came to the United States and had a prolonged and profound influence on many American preachers later in that century.
The Armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-18 should be a clear reminder that life is going to have conflict. Therefore the armored ones may expect to be afflicted. The armor will not end the conflict. Only victory ends the conflict with the enemy. Ephesians warns us that the real enemy is not the one we can see, but the "world forces of this darkness." The armor is described as being defensive in nature, except for the sword which is described as the Word of God.
Did I mention Dad prays and reads his Bible alot. All day long to be exact. His heart is overflowing with the promises of God no matter what the enemy throws his way. When you squeeze a lemon you get lemonade. When you squeeze a lime you get limeade. When you squeeze a Christian you get "whine. " In other words, everything that is God-made delivers what God has put on the inside. With Christians you don't always get what is on the label. I have had a front row seat to the crises of life that have hit my Dad for close to 60 years. The one common theme that runs through the river of my childhood memories and flows into the rough seas of adulthood is this: when Dad gets pressured Jesus comes out.
To have the fruit there must be the root. Being rooted and grounded in the unchanging Word of God and filled with the interceding Presence of Jesus is the key to having victory over affliction.
Remember Ephesians? The position of victory is "stand." When the enemy smells fear in the air as a result of the "whining" of God's people, he senses that he is close to winning a victory over them. Prayer strikes fear into his heart.
On the other hand, prayer strengthens the heart of the person who is being afflicted. When the enemy delivers an attack, rather than planning a funeral they start planning a victory party. How can they do that? They refuse to be a victim, and stand, and deliver what the enemy fears most...powerful, confident prayers calling on God to take the field against their enemy. Praying for strength in the middle of a fight as E.P. Hovey said is "No lullaby for the faint-hearted. It is a blood transfusion for courageous living." Hovey,born in 1908, was a Presbyterian minister in Idaho in the early 20th Century. He was one of the most quotable unknown preachers America has ever produced. He is another one of my heroes.
It is Sunday morning, and we all need to go to church. Let me close by saying that the Word of God clearly states that life has affliction. The cheerful person will fill his heart with the promises of God and fire back in prayer when he is under attack. Save me a place at the victory banquet.
Hunger and Thirst
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34
I just finished reading a presidential biography written by a man who walked this politico through several campaigns for state and national office. If half of what written is true, we have had a country in moral meltdown for decades. The level of personal and corporate rebellion revealed in this book staggered me. The spirit of lawlessness that is held by those who hold our highest offices is appalling. The willingness of people to serve the interests of such people and then transition themselves to be highly paid spokespersons of insight and wisdom to our nation on national cable shows is troubling. Have they no shame? I am haunted by the statement, "What the leader does in moderation, the people will do in excess."
The Pharisees believed prayer, giving, and fasting were the three vital signs of righteousness. They agreed among themselves that doing these things not only made them right with God, but better than every one else. Jesus did not condemn their choice of righteous acts. He judged their hearts. He knew they may have been doing what was right, but they still had a rebellious attitude towards God. They resented having to jump through hoops, and believed God owed them health, wealth, power and prestige for doing so. They killed Jesus for exposing them as posers and hypocrites for doing the right things with the wrong heart or attitude.
Miss Sheldon was my third grade teacher at O.M. Roberts elementary school in Dallas, Texas. She was the first person who challenged me to believe one person can make a difference in the world. She saw a problem with littering and challenged us all to spend the rest of our lives resisting the urge to be a litterbug. She led us in a pledge that made us part of a club, and handed out membership cards. I kept the card in my Roy Rogers plastic wallet until it became so ragged that it had the texture of gauze. The symbol decayed, but I have kept the pledge for half a century. To this day, I still want to slam my car into a senseless jerk who can't keep his flaming cigarette butt in his car. Why does he have to throw his cans and fastfood debris out the window while speeding 15 miles over the posted limit. So glad he wants a smoke free, litter free environment in his truck. Guess his garbage is too heavy for his four wheel drive to carry. Bless his heart. Note: God knows I mean something else.
"Righteousness exalts a nation." So how does one person make a big difference? How does one person's right thinking and right living exalt an entire nation. Simple answer: One person at a time. Simply put, right is the opposite of wrong. That is the easy part. Now the real problem is for a nation to agree on what is right and what is wrong. "The Sixties" produced alot of insipid and insidious statements that became ingrained in a generation people now leading our nation. One of the most dangerous ones was, "It does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere." I guess in the drug fogged haze of that decade this appeared to be a postive politically correct sense of direction. Guess they missed, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12) Their stinking thinking, and foggy logic paved the way for good Christian people to agree that a baby did not have any rights in need of protection. The death toll is in the millions and rising. What seems right is not always what is right.
"Sin is a disgrace to any people." O, really? Recent events in our country lead me to believe that on a national level there has been the death of shame in America. We love our celebrities. Pastors can put aside their wives and still carry on national TV programs as if nothing happened. Politicians can hire a word smith to parse phrases needed to say just enough to bounce opinion polls in favorable direction. Watch an episode of "Cops," "Speeders", "Cheaters," "Dr. Phil," and you see an attitude of rebellion that reaches every level of our culture.
Sin begins with a wrong attitude and leads to wrong behavior. The message of Proverbs bases sin on a person's frame of mind towards what God has to say to them. Any defiance of God's commandments begins with a hatred in the heart for God's Word. The post-modern thought of recent years has removed the authority of God from the national arena. "What is true for you is not true for me." is their contribution to the debate on right and wrong.
So what can be done? Admit today that you are the only person in this world that you have any control over. You can whine all you want about the behavior of people in high places and the ruin posed by politically correct thinking. Stop cursing the darkness and light the way. If you are one of the few that see that our nation is in trouble it is because God is creating a new hunger and a new thirst in the hearts of a group of people who are weary of swallowing the swill of sin.
Jesus established the constitution of His Kingdom with the preamble, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." (Matthew 5:6) Your hunger and thirst are vital signs of a fresh work God is doing in your life. Don't settle for a quick snack of Christian Lite. Start savoring the smell of the feast God is preparing for people who will drop their greasy sack of politically correct or culturally compromised bologna sandwiches and come to His banquet table.
Don't substitute doing the right thing for becoming the right person. God knows you heart and will accept you just as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way He found you. Jesus said, "Except your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20) Jesus stamps in blood, "Born Again," on the passports of the citizens of His Kingdom.
You are responsible to God for your attitude towards God and His Word. A lawyer practices law. A doctor practices medicine. A musician practices his music. A child of God practices Christianity. Each discipline has a set of guidelines that when followed will lead to the right result. Christians are declared right by Sovereign God when they place their trust in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Citizens of Christ's Kingdom are part of the family of God. They are not immune from the temptation of sin, but they react to it differently. It shames them to bring embarrassment on the family. They may stumble and fall. They may fail to make the right choices. They may not always have the right heart attitude even when they do the right thing. The difference is a willingness of heart to agree with their Father that they are on the wrong path. They step our of the dark and ask God for His light. They follow His directions to get back on course. They respect their Father's counsel, and reject their own rebellious attitude.
This is called practicing Christianity. To do less is to practice sin, and God says that is a disgrace to any people. "No one who is born of God practices sin...By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, not the one who does not love his brother." (I John 3:9-10) Got to go. God has called a special practice session just for me to get me ready for the big game tomorrow.
God's Rod
"He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently." Proverbs 13:24
The operative word in this proverb is "discipline." Too often it is lost in the rush to reach for the "rod." It was never meant to be a tool for tyrants and rage-a-holics posing as parents.
I saw the rod used sparingly, but effectively while serving in East Africa from 1972-1974. One day a group of children gathered around us while we were field dressing a Zebra after a hunt outside of Arusha. This was a big deal for them, and like children everywhere they began to get rambunctious and were close to becoming a hazard as they pushed and played around the kill zone. In the distance an old man wrapped in a red cloak carrying a walking stick could be seen approaching. The children began to disperse slowly until only one persistent, and particularly annoying child was left. We began to converse with the man after he arrived, and he announced he was the elder, or chief of this area. We offered him a portion of the kill, and continued our work. I heard a "whack" sound and looked up and the kid that had been in the way, was walking away from the Zebra rubbing his head. With lightning speed, and not a word spoken the elder had delivered a disciplined blow to the hard-headed child. Nothing abusive, just quick and to the point. The word was out on the old man, and the others had gotten the message on some other occasion. This last kid had stayed after school and learned not to embarrass the village. I'm not sellin', just sayin'...
The Americanized version of Samuel Butler's 1682 satirical poem is usually confused with Scripture: "Spare the rod and spoil the child." This is often repeated under-the-breath style by observers of the never-ending "kids rule" temper tantrums thrown in public. Before cell phone cams, security cameras and a public ban on spanking, it was once spoken by parents before, during and immediately after whacking their wayward child in public. Now it is the least quoted proverb in America. It has been replaced by PCC...Politically Correct Countdown. You have heard it in movie theatres, stores and churches all over the land. It goes something like this, "Now________(Fill in the blank with Trevor, Buffy, Scotty, Sky, Star, Willow, Wiccan, Precious, Princess, or a host of other new age namesakes), I'm going to count to three." Then parents expose the extent of their parenting skills with an extended "WWWWWWWUUUNNN, TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,..Don't make me count to three, (breath) THREEEEEEEEEEEEEE....(Still countng.) Meanwhile, everyone within the sound of the ear-piercing screams of another child gone wild is looking for an exit or a big stick. Makes me long for East African discipline.
I recenlty discovered that National Spank Out Day is held each year on my birthday, April 30th.
My parents didn't celebrate this in our home, not even on my birthday. Sounds like a great plan if spanking is replaced by sound discipline. More likely it will be replaced by the deafening sound of silence.
Paul Burleson, once shared with me that parents make the greatest mistake when they treat their children the same. I was a young father at the time and this caught my attention. He said that he had men come to him over the years with the lament, "I don't know what happened to my kids, I treated them all the same." His response was priceless. He would remind them that they know enough about hunting not to treat their dogs the same. They get a good hunting dog by getting them to do what they want done, but going about it a different way depending on the personality traits of the dog. Wise man that Paul Burleson.
Oscar Thompson, my evangelism professor in seminary gave me the best definition of "disciple" I have ever heard. I find it interesting that you can hardly write the word "discipline" without spelling the word "disciple." Dr. Thompson described a disciple as a life long learner who has
- A personal relationship with the teacher
- Allows the teacher to exercise authority and jurisdiction over their lives
- A willingness to face persecution for what they believe
Another one of my heroes, Bill Stafford, taught me, "God's purpose for you is to knock you out of you, so He can fill you with Himself. So get over yourself and accept what God is up to in your life." Sounds remarkably close to what we read in the Word of God. Way to go "Wild Bill."
"For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines." Hebrews 12:6
"Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?" Hebrews 12:9
"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." Hebrews 12:11
Ok, got to wrap this up. Proverbs is not about giving us permission to knock the stuffing out of our kids. Nor does it rule out the use of the rod in a restrictive and constructive way. It challenges and encourages parents that they will get the desired results when they "seek him diligently with discipline." Parenting is not for the faint of heart or the weak of knees. Get with God in prayer and find out what He has planned for your child. Pray for and with your child to find God's direction and correction. Cooperate with Him to bring about His best in your child. Note: Before our girls would leave our home for date, slumber party, school or whatever, we would pray with them and let them hear us ask God to let them get caught when they did something wrong. They hated it then, but they love to remind us of it now. God answers prayer. Case closed. 'Nuff said.
It is also a reminder to every Christ follower of God's diligence to discipline His kids no matter who they are or how old they are. God knows us so well. We sometimes envy how He works in another person's life. They are having a party in their life and God wants us to take out the garbage in ours.
Ever hear a kid say,"Snot fair!" You have probably said it yourself recently. The truth of the matter is that same pruning process that you envy would not bring about the best fruit in you. This lesson is hard to learn and even harder to accept. When God desires to bring about a change in you, He will do whatever it takes to knock you out of you. His process results in your progress. Don't hang around the zebra too long. You'll need a helmet and alot of ice. Whack! Whew, that's gonna leave a mark!
Good News for AWF-ful Thoughts
"Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad." Proverbs 12:25
For nine months we have been trying to get a final reconstructive surgery scheduled for my wife. She had radical surgery for breast cancer in February of this year, and was to have her final surgery completed in May. There has been delay after delay stacked on postponement and postponement. What started out as a matter of concern grew heavier and heavier every time word came that the surgery would have to be done later. In October we were weighed down by the constant delivery of bad news. There was no physical weight that had been put on us to carry, but it was a very heavy feeling nonetheless.
The Bible warns about letting Anxiety, Worry, or Fear take control of your life. A.W.F.-ful thoughts are like flashing lights on the dashboard of a car. They are not meant to light the way, but are meant to bring us to a stop in order to correct a problem.
Dana and I admitted that we had fallen into a trap of talking about the problem more than praying about it. The cure for anxiety is very clear. TALK LESS AND PRAY MORE. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
Sometimes people refer to the concept of talking something to death. That has seldom been my experience. When I talk about something more than I pray about it, it does not die. It grows larger and larger until it takes on a life all its own. It becomes all consuming. It is so intimidating and so in my face that it blocks my view of God. When I pray about something more than I talk about it, the reverse happens. It shrinks. When I place it in God's hands instead of trying to wrestle with it in my own strength, it takes on smaller dimensions. My perspective on A.W.F.-ful thoughts changes when they have God's hand prints on them. When they have my perspiration on them they are magnified.
Several years ago, I decided to search the Internet to see if the rest of the world had any A.W.F-ful thoughts or if I was alone in this matter. What I discovered humored me and sobered me at the same time. Google fear and you will discover an ever-expanding list of phobias that have taken over people's lives. They can be clinically diagnosed with massive amounts of fear from all directions. When you search for anxiety there are all kinds of sites that give people a forum to list their angst. My favorite was a website for worry. It gave people a place to comment on what they were worried about the most. It ran the gamut, as the saying goes, from the ridiculous to the sublime. My favorite was a from a fellow who wrote. "I worry that someday I might forget how to spel...Oh noooooooooooo...Its happening!" This guy didn't have enough to do, or he wasn't taking other people's pain very seriously. Thank God He does.
Jesus said, "Come unto Me all who are weary, and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart: and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." Matt. 11:28-30
This beautiful passage provides us a way out from under the burden of anxiety that weighs a heart down. When we lean into the yoke, we are leaning on Jesus. The weight is rolled from our shoulders over on to His. The question is, "How long do I need to lean on Him." The answer is, "For the REST of your life."
Prideful people have A.W.F-ful thoughts take control of their lives and rob them from relief that is just a prayer away. "Humble yourselves under the mighty had of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you." I Peter 5:6-7
A.W.F.-ful thoughts will continue to weigh the heart down unless they are replaced with good news. Answered prayer is the best news that anyone can ever receive. The first week of October my wife and I admitted to one another and to our church family that we had been guilty of talking more and praying less about the scheduling of her surgery. We saw the flashing lights on our dashboard and we stopped moving in the wrong direction. We took the corrective steps of enlisting 500 people in 25 states to assist us with rolling this off of our shoulders and getting it over on to Christ's shoulders. We admitted we had no control over the issue. With no small amount of humiliation we admitted to God that we were sweating over something in our own effort that we should have placed into His hands months ago. Within 72 hours prayers began to be answered.
By the first week of November we received the official good news that Dana's surgery is scheduled for December 10th at 8 AM in Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We also have received word from a friend in the area that he wants to assist us with housing while we are there. He later surprised us with more good news that his daughter is the head nurse for the surgeon that will be operating on Dana. We didn't know our friend was in the area when we began to pray for relief. God knew. He just wanted us to pray to Him for relief from anxiety and let Him take care of the details.
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but answered prayer is the best news in the world. It makes the heart glad to get rid of A.W.F.-ful thoughts. TALK LESS AND PRAY MORE. It will do your heart some good. BTW: You look like you could use some good news today.
The Way of the Lord
"The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity." Proverbs 10:29
In August 0f 1973 I was privileged to be a part of a team who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa. Suzi and Char Martin, two MKs (missionary kids) from Arusha had put the trip together, and did most of the planning and assembling of gear. The climb was a five day, 85 mile round trip journey that took us from 7,000 ft. elevation to Uhuru Peak at 19,500 ft. We were accompanied by guides for the entire trip, but did not take much notice of them until the last night of the climb. After all, the snow capped peak was pretty easy to see. We knew we were heading in the right direction.
The first night we spent at 10,000 ft. elevation, the second night at 15,000 feet, and the third day in the late afternoon we arrived at a small cabin at the base of the scree at 17,000 feet elevation. This is where the prolonged effects of altitude sickness began to impact us. We had started out with 14 climbers, and now we were down to 13. One of our most athletic members of the team had dropped out somewhere between 10,000-15,000 feet. He was from the seacoast city of Mombasa and the intensifying change in elevation was too much for his body to accommodate. One of our guides had to take him down the mountain, and we were left with one to help us finish the climb. If anyone else had trouble, the climb would be over and we would all have to head down the mountain. Suddenly the guide took on new importance to us.
The guide gathered us at midnight for the final ascent. We all gathered together and pledged that we would all make it to the top. This began a seven hour ordeal of three steps forward and two steps back on the sandy soil called the scree. The guide traversed us back and forth up the mountain. He began with baby steps that left us frustrated. Taking three steps and resting over and over again for the first hour was frustrating. We were climbing under a full moon, and we could see clearly where we wanted to go, but he would not let us get ahead of him. He knew more than we knew. He was letting our bodies slowly adjust to the ever increasing altitude. After the first hour, we were begging him to slow down. The pace was grueling. It was still only three steps, but now we would collapse in exhaustion and then get up and take three more. The cold was intense. Water froze in our canteens, and the dust from the scree coated our tongues. We would break off ice from the mountain to try and get moisture, but it refused to melt in our mouths. A couple members of the team began to weaken, and that meant we had to carry them on our backs or abandon the climb. One of the team members began to hallucinate and started back down the mountain. I tackled him, and then carried him back up to the rest of the team. It was a very long night.
The guide said very little to us, but he stayed with us every step of the way. If we followed him and the sound of his voice we would make it to the top. If we lost contact with him, we were in trouble. No words can describe the joy we felt at reaching the lower summit at dawn. The bright morning sun rising up out of the clouds on the horizon was spectacular. The guide said he would take us farther if we wanted to go to Uhuru peak. It was only another 500 feet high. Six of us went with him, but we discovered the next few hundred feet would take us over five hours. The path took us across the glacier, and with the warming of the snow cap, we would collapse up to our waists and have to dig out of the ice over and over and over again. Finally, we reached the highest point in Africa. We rested a few minutes and headed back down to the valley below. Interestingly, once we had been to the top of the mountain, the relatively low elevation that had bothered us the night before was not a factor. That story will have to wait.
Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 30:21)that a time would come when God would personally guide and direct their paths: "And your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it.' " Acts 9: 2 records one of the earliest references to Christ-followers as people of "The Way." This word for way can be translated journey, manner, path, or road. Proverbs describes the way of the Lord as a path leading to a mountain stronghold.
The first three chapters of Revelation reveal what Jesus spoke to His churches. He told them that the way would be rough. Seven times He warned His churches that they would have to overcome obstacles. There would be different challenges for each church. He promised each one that He knew exactly what they were going through, and offered them the overcoming power of His Spirit.
Upright reminds me of what Solomon said in his last will and testament. "God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." Ecclesiastes 7:29 This word is often contrasted with the word "crooked." An upright person walks a straight, and honest road. A morally erect person is not constantly seeking a detour that will lead to destruction. Paul puts it in great company, "devoutly, and uprightly and blamelessly." I Thess. 2:10
David, Solomon's father, used the word "stronghold" (fortress or refuge) as a favorite theme. "For God is my stronghold." Psalm 59:9,17 David was driven more than once to the high ground that God wanted him to take in order to find victory over his enemies.
Only the foolish person would disregard the voice of God guiding them to a place of strength and security. With God as our guide, there is no need to get ahead of Him or to drag our feet behind Him. His pace for the race is always right for us. What may seem like a delay is meant to prepare us to receive His best. Listen to His voice today and let the sun rise on a new adventure in your walk with Him.
In God We Trust
"He who trusts in his riches will fall, but but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf." Proverbs 11:29
"In God We Trust." What a great statement. What other nation in the world would have it placed on the coinage and currency of the land. America, still the world's standard for national wealth and personal consumption has it as a constant reminder of the wisdom of trusting God more than the money that passes through the hands of her citizens. Gotta love it!
Question:If money talks then what does it say? Answer: "Goodbye!" Pastoring in the "oil patch" in Houston, Tulsa, Borger, and Runaway Bay has made me pretty confident in the answer to the question. After watching booms go bust, and picking up the pieces of debris in people's lives, I couldn't agree more. From Houston Chic to Panhandle French it sounds the same note of finality as it takes off on its fickle flight. Like the saying goes, "Here today and gone tomorrow."
In 1980 I met a seminary classmate named Simon Sirchar. He was a pastor-evangelist from Bangladesh. One day between classes he was asked by another student, "What do your people enjoy hearing you preach about the most?" I thought it was a great question, so I leaned in E.F. Hutton style to hear the answer. Simon said without a hint of hesitation,"The second coming." Well, then the eschatological rodeo began. He was peppered by one seminarian, "Do you preach the pre-millenrial, post-millenial, or a-millenial position?" Someone else asked if he preached the pre-trib rapture or the post-trip rapture of the church. On and on it went, until every position known to man on the subject of the last days was presented as a possible preaching topic. I have never forgotten his response. He smiled gently and with the patience of Job addressed us as if he was speaking to small children. He said, "They just want to know the answer to one question, 'Is Jesus coming back?' "
That is all he said. In other words, between the waves of religious persecution, famine, drought and flood they don't care how Jesus comes back. They just want to be reminded that He can be trusted to keep His promise. As Americans, we have the luxury of living in Disney World while we discuss our options for departing for Heaven. While we experience the occasional economic downturn or inconvenient cash crunch, we whine while we wait for God to finish building our final ride to Heaven. Life is just so hard when you have to choose between Starbuck's and Folgers. I love the bumper stickers that emerge in Texas during these downturns. "God send us another BOOM and we promise not to BLOW it this time."
For the Christian in Bangladesh, and for the persecuted church in many other parts of the world the tribulation has already started. Don't crumple up your charts about the end times. I am not using a capital "T" for tribulation. There are Christians in the world today who are experiencing what other Christians are only debating. Their trust in God is not going to be inflated by an accumulation of worldly goods. They know the cost of trusting in God may be the loss of their jobs or the death of their families. Their concept of downsizing is different from most Americans. it is not a matter of accepting a condo, but choosing a coffin. Their idea of flourishing like a green leaf is more about finding Heaven at last than building Heaven on earth.
I am intrigued by the fascination of young people today with things "70-ish." They have discovered bell bottoms, longer hair, peace symbols, and earth tones. Wow. Thought that was gone forever. Still, I hope that they don't miss the real message of the "The Seventies." This was the last great breakthrough of the Spirit of God on our nation. It was the Jesus Revolution that brought in waves of new converts, and sounds of new music. One of the prophetic voices of the day was Keith Green. I miss his no nonsense words that challenged a new generation of believers to get right with God and make things right in this world. I am encouraged by new voices of men like Francis Chan who set a new standard of trust in God with his book, 'Crazy Love." Maybe, just maybe God is challenging His people in this country to trust in Him more than they trust in their riches.
I don't want to be like one of the old fogies that missed out on what God was up to in 1970's. They didn't stop God, they just missed Him. So, I think I will just trust God that while He is shaking the foundations of this country financially, He just might be getting ready to unleash another Great Awakening. To take hold of God we have to let go of anything that we have held closer than Him. There is nothing like cold cash to cool one's heart for God. Money may not be able to buy happiness, but anyone who has had some before knows that money can rent it for a while. The real test of our trust in God will not be if we get more of what we had, but if we receive from God what we need the most...Him. The real answer to our need is not that we need more of Him. God is not holding out on us. He needs more of us.
Let's give God some elbow room in our lives and trust him to bring about a new kind of "green" in our lives...the fresh growth of righteousness that will attract others to the oasis of His love.
Real Men Fear God
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10
The most dangerous place in the world is between me and a book store. I've earned the reputation. My wife knows that a second hand book store is a place where she can leave me and know I will be there when she gets back. I don't know if I love books or I love the smell of books.
Today when I enter a Barnes & Noble it takes me back to my childhood as a small boy growing up in Dallas. My parents introduced me to the wonderful world of books at one of the old Carnegie libraries. It was a beautiful building located in one of the village shopping centers in a well manicured neighborhood of the city. They did this for two reasons. They wanted me to develop an appreciation for life-long learning, and it allowed me a chance to cool down from the summer heat in an air conditioned building. I was intrigued by the place. There was a distinct smell from the stacks of books carried on row after row of shelves. It was so quiet. It was restful, and did I mention it was cool? It was an oasis on a summer afternoon when the temperatures soared into the hundreds, and our parsonage was so hot that time stood still. There was only one intimidating presence in the place; the no nonsense librarian seated at the front desk. She held court over the library with an odd mixture of hospitality and hostility. She was more than willing to let me in, but I was on a short leash. This lady was not going to put up with any foolishness from me or anyone else. If I could prove to her that I was there for the right reason, I was offered the run of the place. If I did not listen to her warnings to maintain silence and decorum, I would be banned from the building. Did I mention the heat? She ran a tight ship, and I was proud to be on board. I couldn't believe it when this lady offered and than issued me a card that allowed me to walk out with whatever I wanted to take home to read. It was a great deal. I could keep them until I finished reading them, and then I could return the books to her and get some more.
I don't think any degree I have ever earned has given me the satisfaction of my first library card. I am pretty sure that I have rarely been motivated to please someone more than my first librarian. When I brought my stack of books to her, she would open them and stamp the date for their return, and then comment on my choice of reading material. She would say a word to me about each book as she closed it and handed it to me. She noticed I was interested in history and biographies. She would commission me to keep reading in that area because I could learn how to live today from those who lived in the past. I remember feeling smarter just because I was told I was on the right track by someone who knew more than I did. The way you come on is the way you go on.
The Chinese have been attributed with the proverbial statement, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. The message of Proverbs 9 points us to the starting blocks for the beginning of the race of our lives. Everything of significance is rooted in a firm respect and honored reverence for the counsel of God. To know Him is to obey Him. To come into His presence and ignore what He has to say would be foolishness. To listen to His wisdom is to discover more about His character; to understand who He is. This is the result of years of hearing the right counsel and moving in the right direction. God's Word is filled with all we need to know about Him and the life that He has offered us through Jesus Christ. In the short 66 books of the Bible is a library of wisdom. The Holy Spirit sits as a librarian offering to help a genuine student of the word know and understand more about who God is and what He can do through them. It would be foolish indeed to ignore the opportunity to come in from the heat of the world and sit down for refreshing encounter with God in His word.
There was a day when the best thing that could be said about a man was, "He is a God-fearing man." Today the goal of too many men is to hear, "He is such a nice guy." God save us from nice guys who finish last, and give us a new generation of men who will set their feet firmly in the starting blocks, and begin their race with a fear of God. Runners take their mark! Get set! Go!
The Personification of Wisdom
"Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, for blessed are they who keep my ways. Heed instruction and be wise and do not neglect it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at may gates, waiting at my doorposts." Proverbs 8:32-34
When I was serving as a missionary Journeyman in East Africa, I met many interesting people. One of my most memorable evenings was spent having dinner and an extended conversation with a Catholic priest serving the area around Lake Nyasa. He travelled on a small motor scooter that the nationals referred to in Swahili as a "piki, piki." You have to say it out loud to catch their play on words. The little scooter could be heard laboring down the mountain roads with a steady "piki, piki, piki, piki" sound coming from the engine. The Swahili language was always so adaptable and in this case a word was created that made such a practical application for the sound of a motor scooter engine.
Over coffee the "Piki Piki Priest" and I talked a great deal about Jesus. I asked him how he kept his walk with Jesus a very warm relationship and avoided the trap of Christianity becoming a cold religion. He gave me a great insight by telling me that he had grown accustomed to reading through Proverbs every morning. I told him that I wasn't familiar with Proverbs as a source for discovering more about the Person of Jesus Christ. He smiled and suggested to me that Proverbs would take on a more profound meaning about the life of Christ if I began to use the name of Jesus in place of the word wisdom. I had heard my father, Don Miller, recommend that to me years earlier, but that was before I turned 21. As I grew older Dad got smarter, but in 1974 I was still not applying all the wisdom he had passed on to me. It is amazing how young people will be open to the same advice if it has a different return address. This is very frustrating to parents, but it is something that every generation of parents has discovered to be painful, but true.
Proverbs 8 definitely comes alive when the name of Jesus is introduced in place of the word for wisdom. Jesus is seen as the greatest blessing the Lord can give to a person. He is pictured as the master workman standing alongside God at creation. He is the one who is the source of life and favor from God. When I read this chapter, I am reminded that wisdom is not a concept or a philosophy of life. Wisdom is the result of a relationship that is cultivated on a daily basis with the one who is the source of wisdom. To know the right thing to do, and when to do it, I must spend time with the right person and follow His lead.
Lloyd-John Ogilvie was the long time pastor of The First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California. He later became the Chaplain to the U.S. Senate. One of his books has been a source of encouragement to me, "Discovering God's Will in Your Life." He states, "Discovering God's will in your life (in specifics) comes out of consistent companionship with God." There is not much to be gained from the panic search for truth. He encourages the truth seeker to get with God on a regular basis and draw from a deep reservoir of His wisdom for the choices that must be made every day. That made sense to me in December 1986 and it has passed the test of time in my life for almost a quarter century. More importantly, it has stood the test of time for 3,000 years. Proverbs 8 underscores the benefits and blessings of developing the daily habit of listening and then applying the wise counsel offered by Jesus.
If this suggestion makes you feel a bit uncomfortable then I wouldn't recommend you do it. What works for me is not meant to be a mandate for you. However, doesn't Proverbs 8 read like a bio sheet for Jesus? Jesus was interested in His followers recognizing Him as the guide for the right path to take, the only word to trust, and the only life to live. Jesus has always been Plan A, and God does not have a Plan B. When Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6), He was identifying Himself as the source of and the personification of wisdom.
"For he who finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord." Proverbs 8:36